Poor Old Robinson Crusoe Lyrics
Robinson Crusoe was the most famous castaway in English books long before there were films about desert islands. This rhyme feels sorry for him and laughs at his goat-hair coat at the same time.
Poor Old Robinson Crusoe
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
They made him a coat
Of an old Nanny goat.
I wonder why they should do so!
With a ring-a-ting-tang,
And a ring-a-ting-tang,
Poor old Robinson Crusoe!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/poor-old-robinson-crusoe/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Said or sung
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does Poor Old Robinson Crusoe Mean?
In Daniel Defoe's novel, Crusoe is shipwrecked alone on an island and has to make everything himself, including clothes and a cap from goat skins. The rhyme imagines his odd coat and wonders why anyone would do such a thing. "With a ring-a-ting-tang" is a nonsense chorus, there to be sung loudly.
History and Origin
Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719 and was a huge success, read by adults and later retold for children in countless shortened editions. The rhyme borrowed the character and turned him into a figure of fun. This version is from The Real Mother Goose (1916). By then most children would have known the story from picture books even if they had never read the novel.
Learning Activities
- Island story: tell the simple version of Crusoe's story: a shipwreck, an island, building a hut, finding a friend.
- Make a coat: dress a teddy bear in a coat made from scraps of fabric or paper, Crusoe style.
- Chorus shout: let your child join in loudly on "with a ring-a-ting-tang" while you say the rest.